Review on IECOPOWER Surge Protector Power Strip with 4 Fast Charging USB Port - Ideal for Cruise Ship, 🔌 Office & Dorm Room - Desktop Charging Station with 4.5 ft Extension Cord - Multi Plug Extender in White by William Belczyk

Normally I wouldn't risk a power strip from an unknown brand, but the description of this iEcopower surge protector says "FCC/ETL CERTIFIED", so at least there was some hope. But before we go any further, let's note that the FCC has nothing to do with surge protectors, so that claim (often boasted by foreign manufacturers) is practically meaningless. On the other hand, the ETL certification will be important as it indicates that the product has been validated by a testing laboratory to meet US electrical safety standards. Unfortunately, this iEcopower product is not actually ETL certified, as evidenced by the lack of an ETL listed mark on the product itself. Aside from falsely claiming certification, there are other problems. The problem is that iEcopower claims this power strip can handle 15 amps (1875 watts). However, the SJT power cord attached to it contains only 16-core conductors, rated for a maximum current of 13 A (1625 W). Larger 14 gauge conductors are required for 15 amp operation to comply with US safety standards. If you did in fact apply 15A through this extension cord, the power cord may have overheated. Another issue is the poor build quality in this surge protector. I opened the unit up to inspect and found that the wiring was very loosely attached to the protection board. Several wires were half-soldered and/or had lots of loose strands. This means the physical connections to the PCB are even smaller than the already underrated 16 gauge wire, creating additional spots for potential overheating. I could go on given the device's lack of AC overload protection, but honestly it's not worth the effort. The false claim of ETL certification and the inflated claim of 15A are enough to disqualify this product from any recommendation. This power strip is cheap, poorly made and potentially dangerous when charged to its advertised capacity.